By popular demand, this thread is being re-posted here in the Real Estate Board............. [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The Walton Funn, January 23, 2007[/SIZE][/FONT] [B][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT][/B] [B][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]South Walton Opera[/FONT][/SIZE][/B] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The Seaside Meeting Hall looked more like the famous Teatro La Scala this past Thursday evening as theater goers were treated to the opening performance of [B]La Trivial-a[/B] -the first ever south Walton Opera.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The work, loosely based on Giuseppe Verdi?s La Traviata, centers around a cast of characters in a real estate development office in south Walton.[/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The word [I]opera[/I] means "works" in Italian (from the plural of Latin [I]opus[/I] meaning "work" or "labour") suggesting that it combines the arts of solo and choral singing, declamation, acting and dancing in a staged spectacle; and south Walton?s own version had all of the above.[/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The Opera was composed by maestro 30-gAy; a local who claims to have first discovered the drama and energy of Opera while on his first trip to Italy. ?I?ve been studying the art form for the past decade or so and just thought it would be funn to translate it into a work with local themes.?, said the maestro during a recent Walton Funn interview. ?And the only thing that comes close to the level of drama and tragedy of Italian Opera here in SoWal???...is the ongoing Real Estate debate.?[/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Even with a strong plot to support it, the production team of [B]La Trivial-a[/B] had to overcome several difficulties in order to be performed locally. For one, several of the [I]arias[/I] were written to be performed [I]da castrato[/I]. A [B]castrato[/B] is a male soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice produced by castration of the singer before puberty- not exactly common practice in Florida. Some men can use [I]falsetto[/I] to sing in the soprano range, but this voice type is extremely rare. [/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]?We needed to find singers who could approximate the high pitched yet powerfully sustained vocal range of the castrati ?no small task in a small panhandle town, but fortunately SoWal.com provided us with just such performers.?, said 30-gAy. [/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The maestro found his performers in a specific group of posters who, for the past year, have been forecasting impending doom and gloom for the region ?Their posts have really reached an almost feverish [I]falsetto[/I] squeal,? said 30-gAy, ?So I basically asked them to translate their routine to a stage act ?it worked out great.?[/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The performers/posters have now become known collectively as the [I]Real Estrati[/I]. ?It fits, I mean they are really just like regular real estate investors, ?.but without the balls.? , said one unnamed production assistant.[/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]People wishing to attend La-Trivial-a should contact the box office to reserve a seat. Performances have sold out every evening thus far, hinting at a long run for the opera. [/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]?..And proving once and for all -It ain?t over until the fat developer sings.[/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT]
